More Than Conquerors—Romans 8:37
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:37)
Everyone loves to watch an exciting football game. We hold our breath and root for the underdog, but some teams excel to the point where they cannot be beat. This fall was a great example of this. The country watched the Iowa Hawkeyes win nearly ever game they played. Even in the last moments of the game, when they were down and all seemed lost, they would miraculously come back for certain victory. Their name alone struck fear in their opponents. No matter how strong and highly ranked their rivals were, the Hawkeyes would crush them and send them home defeated. This football team was victorious everywhere they played even when outmanned or outranked. They didn't listen to the media who said they were a poor team, they listened to their hearts that told them they were winners and proved it based on this knowledge.
In today's passage, Paul is writing that we are winners. The victory is ours through Christ Jesus. This knowledge will keep us going in life when all seems hopeless. What a marvelous perspective to have. In the midst of trouble, persecution, being beat and run out of town, Paul writes to us that in all these we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. He knew the love of God and his position in the Kingdom and this knowledge brought him victory in all things.
Many times, we act like our circumstances and opposition is too overwhelming for us to be victorious. But Paul said, "in all these things we are more than conquerors..." The Greek word in this passage for conquerors denotes that we are literally hyper-conquerors. We are pre-eminently victorious through Christ Jesus. We will gain a decisive and surpassing victory because Christ was victorious and he conquered death. Not only is this so, but he passed along this victory to us. Paul said in Colossians, "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" ( Colossians 2:13-15 ). Christ made a public spectacle of all powers and authorizes and hyper-conquered them. He defeated them so badly that there was no hope for a counter attack. This victory was passed along to us through faith in Christ. We are more than conquerors because Christ loved us.
Paul knew that this victory stems out of the fact that God loves us. Victory in life only comes through Christ's strength displayed in us. The power of God's love for you will changed circumstances in your life. This is the most important thing that you can know and understand. God loves you. Paul tells us that we should be rooted and established in this love. "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" ( Ephesians 3:16-19 ). How are we filled to the full measure of God? It is by understanding the breath, the length, the depth and height of His love for you. This will make you rooted deep and founded securely in him. This knowledge will prove to your circumstances that you are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus who loves you.
Today, I pray that your spiritual eyes are opened to understanding the depth of God's love for you. May you understand your victory in Christ Jesus. May you be fully convinced, rooted securely and strengthen in power through in him alone, amen.